Goods are transported all over the world from production sites to transformation plants, to industry, distribution and retailing centres, to shops, restaurants and end-users. At each stage of the transportation chain, goods must be loaded into a transportation container or housing at their starting point and unloaded at their arrival points. Such transportation housings can be transported by ship, plane, truck, or rail. During the loading or unloading of the housing, goods are transported across an opening defined in a wall of such housings into or out of an inner space wherein goods can be stored. Access through the opening is allowed by a rigid door, which can be opened or closed to give access to the inner space from the exterior or to seal the opening. Often, different goods stored in a transportation housing may have different delivery addresses, so that the last good to be delivered has remained the longest in the inner space and has been exposed to frequent openings and closings of the rigid door. The loading or unloading of goods can last quite some time, if the operator must transfer goods from the transportation housing to a storing place or reverse. Since the rigid door(s) are usually cumbersome to open and close, and an operator has its hands busy with a trolley or trolley jack, they often remain open during the whole duration of an unloading or loading operation.
Some cargoes, however, are sensitive to changes in the environmental storing conditions. For example, many goods must be stored in a refrigerated environment, or within a controlled level of relative humidity to preserve them during transportation. In particular this concerns foodstuff, for example frozen or cooled meat, fish, vegetable, semi-prepared plates, fruits, drinks, and the like. It is important never to break to cold chain lest bacteria start spreading. It can also concern medicines, sensitive electronic equipment, biological material, and the like. The longer the rigid door remains open during a loading or unloading operation, more the environmental storing conditions are likely to be affected with possibly severe consequences on the preservation of the cargo.
Furthermore, if an operator loses the transportation container from sight when transferring goods between the container and a storing place, unauthorized people can penetrate within the inner space of the transportation housing and steal or damage the goods stored therein.
There therefore remains a need in the art for allowing the closing of an access aperture in a transportation container every time the crossing of such aperture is not required, and allowing the opening thereof when crossing of the aperture is desired. The present invention provides a housing for the transportation of a cargo capable of rapidly and easily opening and closing a shutter over such access opening, to maintain the inner space of the housing separated from the outside. This and other advantages of the present invention are presented in continuation.